Re: [gentoo-user] Renaming files with those pesky picture type characters.

[Michael <confabulate@kintzios.com>]

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On Tuesday 29 October 2024 15:18:40 GMT Dale wrote:
> Howdy,
> 
> I downloaded some files.  I have a few that have some weird names.  Some
> have those picture type characters.  Some start with a dash, "-".  In
> some cases I can use wild cards to change them.  Frank gave me some
> ideas on that off list, while discussing his nifty checksum tool. 
> Anyway, I ran up on a few that start with a dash, "-", and I can't find
> a way around that.  The mv command thinks it is me trying to include a
> option.  It spits out something like this. 
> 
> 
> mv: unrecognized option '---ne.avi'
> 
> 
> Some of the other characters I run into look like this. 
> 
> 
> ����
> 
> 
> Those I can usually get around with wildcards.  I have not found a way
> to get around the ones with the dash in front tho.  I tried a single
> quote, double quote etc but still no worky.  Also, tab completion
> doesn't help either. 
> 
> One reason I want to change these, it makes Frank's script puke on my
> keyboard.  It reacts the same way with Franks script as it does when I
> try to use cp or mv.  Why someone would name files that way is beyond me. 
> 
> What is the trick to rename these files?  I've tried mv, Dolphin,
> Krusader and such.  There has to be a way but I can't figure out what it
> is.  Heck, I'm not even sure what to search for to find out how to do
> this. 
> 
> Thanks. 
> 
> Dale
> 
> :-)  :-) 

In a terminal running bash you can try:

mv ./-ne.avi newname.avi

or use a double dash to indicate end of options for the preceding command:

mv -- -ne.avi newname.avi

For a GUI-fied application, you can use 'kde-misc/krename'.

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